The scientist and the playboy are stock characters from ages past, but The Haunting does have one foot towards the warped, wide-angle terrors of the future. There are moments here of creepy atmosphere, shots composed for both beauty and shocks, and some impressive FX. But what remains most fresh, as the film turns into its second half, is the psychology of repression, with a lesbian subtext that's barely sub.

A rollicking revisit to the old dark house with all the expected levers pulled with polished panache, despite some occasional playing to the rear gallery. As with the contemporariness The Innocents, it utilises widescreen well with tangy setups in crisp cinematography. Wise is a somewhat overlooked everyman of a Director competently helmimg most things with integrity and confidence. Next stop: Austria...

[Cinémathèque PT - 35mm] I think de Bont's adaptation might be better (more Shyamalan-ish). Still mulling over the rating and feelings on this one...after having seen 'Carnival of Souls' a couple of days ago, everything horror-related is a let down, I reckon...

35mm, rewatched. A treaty of composition and editing and and if it wasn't for Julie Harris actor studio' style on excess, literally hysterical, and more concentration in the middle of the film, somehow adrift, and it would be a masterpiece. Nevertheless, is one of the great thriller films of suspense and fantastic.

Atmospheric and suspenseful classic horror from director Robert Wise based on the story by Shirley Jackson. The initial setup is very much of the 'old dark house' variety but by concentrating more on the psychological elements the film's novelty works in its favour. Julie Harris and Claire Bloom are very well cast but the films direction, editing and cinematography make this quite memorable.

Re-watched this after at least twenty years. I feel like this film is to horror what ’The Third Man' is to film noir: It's old-fashioned and silly but at the same time very modern and intriguing. It has also aged really well. No school like the old school.

Eerie and hypnotic as all hell, taking a page out of the Val Lewton playbook. The shot of Julie Harris walking away from the rest of the group as they fade into the darkness honestly scares the crap out of me. Great cast, great direction and excellent use of sound and black and white photography. The Haunting doesn't get anywhere nearly enough credit.